


A Duet of Meowbots and Music

by VelvetRobot



Category: Cytus (Video Games)
Genre: Cute, Domestic Fluff, Established Relationship, F/F, Light Angst, OOH also mom!helena i should mention that, Post-Canon, also i ignore canon whenever it inconveniences me, more like i just dont care lol, my fic my rules muahahaha, nekopaff week 2020, so slight au i guess?, they live together ok
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-06-14
Updated: 2020-12-24
Packaged: 2021-03-04 02:00:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 6,868
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24565795
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/VelvetRobot/pseuds/VelvetRobot
Summary: Neko and Aroma have been in a relationship for quite some time now; what does an average week look like for them? Take a peek into the lives of an internet idol and professional gamer as they navigate the ups and downs of reality in Node 08.A collection of stories written for NekoPaff Week 2020, an event organized by the Discord server I'm in c: Takes place after the Good Ending but doesn't directly reference any major events, so no need to worry about spoilers!
Relationships: Aroma White | PAFF & Helena White, Asakura Neko | NEKO#ΦωΦ/Aroma White | Paff
Comments: 11
Kudos: 21





	1. 703-09-15

**Author's Note:**

> Alright so the structure here isn't super straightforward, so let me explain it a bit: Each chapter chronologically follows the previous one, they take place over one actual week, but the continuity isn't super strong; most of the connections consist of minor references to earlier events. I view all the prompts as complete works themselves, kinda like a vignette I guess? You could read in any order and it'd still make sense.

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neko experiences a...um......~heated gamer moment~? can i say that........?????

“GRRRAUUUGHGHGH!!!!!” came an ear-splitting cry from the recording studio, causing Aroma to nearly drop the pitcher of iced tea she was pouring. The noise was so loud and so sudden that the framed photographs on the walls began to shake; one or two magnets came loose and slid down the refrigerator door, and the living room lamp seemed dangerously close to tipping over. It was followed by a barrage of obscenities, partially muffled by the black fiberboard door, and though she couldn’t make out specific words, Aroma knew there could only be one explanation for such a disturbance:

Neko must be streaming _that game_ again.

Sighing, she finished pouring the two glasses of tea she had brewed that afternoon, making sure to not overfill either of them and adding extra ice to the one on the right. She squeezed a bit of lemon juice into each glass and topped them off with a uniquely-colored paper umbrella--green for her, and pink for Neko. Obviously. She knew it wouldn’t make a difference, that her girlfriend would be touched by the gesture no matter what color umbrella she got, or if she even got one at all, but Aroma always insisted that things were worth doing “the right way, or not at all.” She placed the finished beverages onto the tray laying on the counter, grabbed both handles, and lifted the tr-

“ _FUCKING COCKSUCKERS!!_ ” came another scream from the studio, and this time Aroma did manage to knock over the drinks. There was more rattling and the soft clink of a fridge magnet hitting the kitchen tile, but she was too busy observing the mess in front of her to pay attention. Fortunately the glasses hadn’t shattered, but ice cubes and brown liquid were strewn all over the counter she had _just wiped_ ; some of it had gotten on the floor she’d _just mopped_ ; and two tiny umbrellas were now dripping wet, soaked as thoroughly as if they’d been outside in a hurricane. She groaned loudly as her brow furrowed in disbelief and frustration.

 _That’s it_ , she thought to herself, _I’ve had enough of her outbursts. I’m going to give that girl a piece of my mind._

She carelessly tossed the tray onto the counter and wheeled around to face the opposite hall. The door was still shut firmly tight, but she could hear more yelling and explosions coming from inside as bright multicolored light spilled out from the crack underneath. Her shoes squeaked from the now-damp floor as she stormed over to the studio, knocked thrice loudly, and opened the door before waiting for a response.

Inside was Neko, sitting in her gaming chair in front of her two-monitor setup. Two Meowbots floated around her as she gripped her controller tightly in her hands. She was already far closer to the screen than she should’ve been, but her neck was strained as far as it could, as if her head was trying to jump inside the TV and manipulate the game from the inside. Above her, a strip of LEDs slowly faded between a rainbow of colors, changing from red to yellow to green to blue to purple to white over the course of about a minute. On the opposite side of the room were several synthesizers, speakers, and microphones that both girls used to produce and record music; there wasn’t much of that going on, though, as the room was currently occupied by Neko as her private gaming lounge. At least, it _was_ , before Aroma had interrupted the game by opening the door.

Neko flinched as pale fluorescent light hit her face. She had been so concentrated on the game that she nearly leapt out of her seat with a tiny yelp. (Much to Aroma’s disdain, she couldn’t help but find it cute...she only wished it had been under a different circumstance.) The controller fell from her hands and hit the carpet with a thud, but she was so shocked by the intrusion that she didn’t even notice. The stern look her significant other was wearing told her more than she needed to know. 

She adjusted her cat-ear headphones as she turned back to her screen, a sheepish grin plainly visible on the camera feed. She stammered out, “S-sorry everyone! NEKO will be right back!!” before immediately turning off the face cam and muting her microphone, leaving nothing onscreen but the chat overlay and the game’s menu. She then hurried out of her chair and strode over to the doorway, looking equal parts ashamed and embarrassed.

Aroma said nothing for a few seconds, just glared at her girlfriend with a disapproving expression. She raised an eyebrow as she leaned against the door frame, arms tightly crossed against her chest. Her fingers began to drum her opposing forearm as she waited for a response.

Neko’s face was starting to turn red as she scratched the back of her head as casually as she could muster. “Ehehe...” she fake-laughed, “you...heard that, right?”

Aroma continued to stare. There was a pregnant pause before she spoke in a flat, almost monotone voice: “I made you tea.”

This caused Neko’s face to light up. “You did?! Aww, Aroma-chan, that’s so sweet of you!! Thank yo..u....” Her voice trailed off as she glanced behind Aroma and spotted the mess in the kitchen behind her, now covering a much wider area. She pretended to giggle again as her face got even more red and her shoulders slumped. “Whoops...?”

Aroma closed her eyes and let out a heavy sigh. Without opening her eyes, she said, “Neko, I’ve asked you before to keep your volume down when you’re streaming. That room is supposed to be soundproofed, and yet I can hear you yelling from all the way across the house sometimes!”

Neko frowned, an expression her Meowbots mimicked with a sad boop. “I’m sorry Aroma-chan, I just get sooo absorbed with my game that I can’t seem to help myself sometimes...I didn’t mean to disturb you!”

Those words made Aroma relax a little, he stance beginning to slacken. “Alright, I believe you, but...don’t you think this game might be a bit much for you?”

“Huh? Whaddya mean?”

“I mean, you must be yelling about _something_ , right? If it makes you legitimately angry, it must not be very fun to play, is it? I think you should maybe take a break for a whil-”

“NO!” Neko stepped back in recoil; this was one of the last things she had expected to hear. “No, it’s not the game! I swear it’s just this _one_ player who keeps beating me! I think he’s stream sniping me or something...like he wants to aggravate me personally because of how popular I am! He’s just a jealous poser! He’s probably using hacks too, that _GODDAMN CHEATING BASTA-_ ”

“Heeeey! Easy there, Neks.” Aroma grabbed Neko’s hand in an attempt to calm her down; the effect was almost immediate as Neko’s gaze drifted away from the monitor and back to Aroma. Their eyes met as she took Neko’s other hand in hers. In a soft voice she continued, “It’s just a game. It doesn’t matter.”

“But it _does_ matter, Aroma! It’s my job! I have to be good at it!”

“I know it’s your job, but I never want you to prioritize it over your own health and well-being. Your career is important, but it’s also important to take care of yourself, too.”

“I’m _trying_ to take care of myself, Aroma!” Neko’s ordinarily-shrill voice rose even more from the strain. “This is what I’m best at! I want to make money to support us, to support _you_ , so that I feel like I’m contributing something! Like I’m _useful_!! Do you get that?”

Aroma was briefly taken aback. “Neko...you _are_ useful...”

“I have to prove it. I have to show you how good I can be so you’ll be proud of me.”

“Oh, sweetie...” Aroma took Neko’s other hand and nudged her ever so closer. “You don’t have to prove yourself to anyone--especially not to me. I’m proud of you no matter what you do! I am so proud of how far you’ve come, and I’m very happy I get to spend time with you! Don’t worry about what you think is important to _me_ ; I want you to start thinking about what’s important to _you_ . What _really_ matters.”

Neko turned away to stare at the floor. She mumbled something Aroma couldn’t quite hear: “...atter.....”

“What was that?”

“YOU MATTER! OKAY?!?” Neko was yelling again, but this time not out of anger. Tears began to well up in her eye sockets. “IT’S YOU! _YOU’RE_ WHAT’S MOST IMPORTANT TO ME!! I LOVE YOU AROMA! I LOVE YOU _SO MUCH!!_ AND I FEEL AWFUL ABOUT HURTING YOU WHEN I DIDN’T EVEN REALIZE I WAS DOING IT AND I JUST WANT YOU TO BE _HAPPY_ I’M TRYING TO DO THIS FOR _YOU_ AND I’M _RUINING_ IT AND I WOULD GIVE UP ALL THE VIDEO GAMES IN THE WORLD IF IT MEANT I COULD STAY BY YOUR SIDE FOREVER AND I JUST.....I JUST...!!!!!”

Her rambling monologue was cut off when Aroma pulled her arms towards her and embraced her in a hug. Neko began crying into her Aroma’s shoulder, but she just smiled sweetly and stroked the back of the younger girl’s hair.

“Shhh.....it’s ok, dear...I love you too......” she whispered, her arms squeezing even tighter, which only made Neko cry even harder.

“ _I’m sorry_ ... _*sniff*_ ...” she sobbed, “ _I’m trying...._ ”

“I know you are, and that’s why I love you.....” She frowned slightly. “No, that’s not what I meant. I love you no matter how hard you try; I love you even when you’re angry, even when I’m angry with _you_ , because I love you for the person you are, and all the rest is just...dealing with whatever life throws at us. It’s not your fault.”

Neko’s sobs began to let up, but she still didn’t show any signs of letting go. “Okay,” she nodded, “Okay. I just have....”

“A lot of stress,” Aroma finished. “That’s all it is. You’re doing a wonderful job, and I love you with all my heart.”

The two stood there in silence for another minute or two, until Neko’s breathing slowed to a normal pace. Finally, she relaxed the tension in her muscles, and Aroma released her from the hug. They kept their hands on each others’ shoulders and gazed at one another for a while longer; then, in one simultaneous motion, they each both leaned forward and pressed their lips together in a kiss.

“Thank you,” Neko said as their mouths parted. “I’m sorry.”

“I forgive you.”

They smiled at one another for a moment longer, before Neko suddenly remembered something. “Oh fuck! The stream!” And before Aroma could blink, she was back in her gaming chair, fiddling with her keyboard and mouse.

Aroma tsked. “ _Neko..._ ” she chided jokingly while attempting to stifle a laugh. She was not successful.

“Just a second, Aroma!” Neko clicked a button and leaned into the mic. “Hey guys, sorry about this, but I have to end the stream early today! Something came up, and I gotta leave now...but don’t worry! You’ll get to see me again real soon!! Make sure to subscribe to my CyTube channel to see all my past broadcasts! Alright, _minna sayonara~!!!_ ” And with that, she pressed a few more buttons and then leapt back onto her feet. “Okay, now I’m ready to help you clean up the kitchen!”

“Oh, really? You don’t have to do that, I mean-”

“No, no, I want to help you. We can make it a fun thing with the two of us!! And then--*yawn*--and then I think it’ll be about time for a nap...”

“Only if I can join you, teehee~...”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> guys i reeeeally tried to make this a lighthearted fluffy comedy. i really did. it was going to be about aroma accidentally taking nekos place on her stream and immediately being better at the game than she is and her view count spikes dramatically because none of them realize it's aroma and sitcom-style shenanigans ensue but then it got SAD. because i am not capable of writing anything about these two that doesnt involve projecting all my issues and insecurities onto them. so neko has adhd now and she gets upset over everything and plays video games all the time as a way to distract from her low self-esteem because thats what i do. :pensive: so prepare for more of that down the line. ill do my best to keep it from being TOO heavy but....yknow.


	2. 703-09-16

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aroma learns something new about Neko.

Aroma was panting heavily as she logged out of the hololive venu, a massive smile spread across her sweat-drenched face. It may have been a virtual reality concert from the comfort of her own home, but she was just as exhausted as she would have been after any of her live performances. Jumping up and down for two hours while singing at the top of her lungs was no easy feat (especially when she had to do Perspectives towards the end.....next time she would put that at the _beginning_ of her setlist!). Still, the reactions of the crowd and outpouring of support from the thousands of viewers who’d tuned in to see her made the effort all the more worth it. It was a feeling unlike any other, and she wouldn’t trade it for the world.

As she took a swig from her third bottle of water of the day, her sound producer/DJ showered her with praise. “Wowwwww!!! Aroma-chan, you were fantastic out there! Your stamina is so impressive, I don’t know if I could ever do what you do!”

“Heehee, thanks Neko,” the idol replied, still slightly out of breath. "Though it wouldn't have gone as smoothly if you hadn't been there to handle the technical side of things."

Neko scoffed. "Whaaaaaat?! This is nothing! Just pressing a few buttons every now and then....it's not much different from streaming, really!"

"Well, as long as you don't get mad and nearly break your controller again like yesterday..." Upon seeing Neko's face begin to darken, she quickly added, "I'm joking, I'm joking! I told you I forgive you for that."

Neko continued to pout, but her voice was playful as she spoke. "You know, you should really be careful about teasing your sound manager, or I might 'accidentally' leave your mic on mute next time~"

"You wouldn't _DARE_!"

“ _Wanna bet~?_ ”

With this the two girls giggled together as they began to poke each other in various places, making a game out of trying to reach the other’s belly button like two Olympic fencers in a bout for the gold medal. This quickly devolved into a tickle fight that brought them both down to the floor, laughing the entire time as they rolled around in a tangled mess of limbs and body parts. They were only interrupted by the sudden sound of Aroma’s ringtone, and the laughing immediately stopped.

Aroma untangled herself from her girlfriend and reached for her phone that was laying on the nearby desk. She stared at the digital display for a second, then announced, “It’s from Helena.”

Neko gave a small nod and made a gesture with her hand as a way of saying, _Go on. Take it_. Aroma nodded in a greement and gave a quick wave as she swiped up on the screen and headed out the door. “Hi, Helena!”

“Aromaaaaa!” came her sister’s voice from the phone’s speaker. “I just saw your performance today, you did a wonderful job out there! I couldn’t be more proud of you!”

The pop star smiled as she made her way back to her bedroom, realizing she was still in her PAFF costume that was probably now soaked in sweat--both hers and Neko’s. “Thanks, sis. I didn’t see you in the audience, of course, but glad you liked it!”

“It’s not just me, you know--I’m browsing your hashtag on iM, and people are _raving_ about you all over the net! I think you may be even more popular now than you ever were with Mono!”

Monophonic Entertainment...the name of her old record label brought back some less-than-pleasant memories. “Yeah, that’s great,” she said flatly, pausing for a moment before she spoke again. “You know, Helena, you’re not my agent anymore, you don’t have to keep worrying about that kinda stu-”

“I know, I know, I’m retired from the industry, but I’m speaking as your family member, Aroma...I’m really happy to see my little sister doing so well! You know I raised you for years all by myse-”

“Yeah, yeah, I know! You don’t have to pull the ‘legal guardian’ card again.” She smiled. “But I appreciate the support, Helena. Thank you.”

“But of course, dear! You know I’ll always be your number-one fan!”

Her smile grew wider as she flopped down onto the bed, putting the phone on speaker as she began to change out of her idol outfit. “Of course you will.”

Helena either didn’t hear that part or didn’t care, because she changed the subject of the conversation. “So how are things going with you and Neko? You been taking care of yourselves alright?”

“Yeah, we’ve been doing pretty well. She’s...well, she’s not a _perfect_ roommate, but we get along great for the most part. Having our own apartment is really cool, especially since we can do all our recording from home and I don’t have to spend as much time traveling to a studio somewhere. I think this independent artist thing is really working out for the both of us!”

“I’m glad to hear it. I was a little worried when you announced you were moving out six months ago, and to be honest I _still_ worry about you sometimes, but you know where to find me if you ever need anything, okay?”

She nodded, then realized how silly that was for someone who couldn’t see her at the moment. “Yes, Helena. I’m fine.”

“You’re a big girl now, a whole 25 years, and I trust that you can take care of yourself from now on but...I just want you to remember, you can _always_ reach out to me if you need someone to talk to, alright? I’m here for you 24 hours a day.”

“Helena,” Aroma said with a smirk, “are you bored or something?”

“No, no! I’m doing...uh, g-great! Yep, having a great time around here! By myself! With no kids to bother me.....no eligible bachelors to court me.......love it....”

Aroma sighed. “Okay, Helena, that’s it. I’m setting you up on a date.”

"Wh-wh-whaaaaaat?!?! Aroma, you-!"

"Sorry, can't hear you, I'm about to get in the shower." She turned the water on to prove her point. "I'll send you the details later. Just be ready tomorrow afternoon! Talk to you later love you bye!!"

"AROMA! WHA-" was the last thing she heard before hanging up.

Her playful grin was still plastered onto her face as she stepped into the shower, silently praising herself for being so mischievous today. It wasn’t like her to be such a trickster, but the more time she spent with Neko, the more of her seemed to rub off. It was like osmosis: the two of them spent so much time together, there was no _way_ she wouldn’t passively absorb some of her girlfriend’s mannerisms.

As she lathered her hair with a lavender-scented shampoo, she began to ponder if it worked the other way, too--surely it must, right? Were there any ways Neko was becoming more like her? She shook her head, and suds went flying everywhere. No, she hadn’t noticed any significant differences since they’d started dating. And that was fine, because she didn’t want them to end up so similar that people would have trouble telling them apart. Aroma was Aroma, and Neko was Neko. That would never change. But perhaps...when two people were very close, the lines between them started to blur. It was an interesting hypothesis; she had no real way of confirming her theory, but it seemed reasonable enough. Just kinda made sense somehow.

Her mind continued to wander as the water rolled down her bare skin, bringing all the day’s dirt and yuckiness with it. After the most contemplative shower in the history of the universe, she turned off the water and dried herself off. A quick glance in the mirror showed nothing out of the ordinary, so she flashed her reflection a smile and wink. _Looking good, Aroma._

She opened the bathroom door a crack to see if Neko was there--she wasn’t--and then stepped out into the bedroom. She searched through her wardrobe for an appropriate afternoon outfit, decided on a white tank top with oversize sweatpants, and put them on with one hand while checking her phone with the other. When she was fully dressed, she came out of the bedroom and started to make her way down the hall, still focused on her mobile device. “Neko, I have a favor to ask. Can yo-”

It was then that she realized what her girlfriend was doing.

Neko was standing in the middle of the living room, her back facing the hallway. The television speakers were playing music at a high volume: a strong, powerful melody accentuated by lilting guitars and pulsating beats. Words were emblazoned on the screen, lyrics that changed color from white to yellow as the song progressed. Above them was a blue progress bar that filled to indicate how much time had passed and how much was left. Neko was watching the screen as she held a plastic microphone in her hands, amplifying her voice as she sang:

“ _Born into our world of deceit_

_Impossible to rise up from below_

_How can I even move_

_How can I even find my soul...”_

For how loud a speaking voice she had, Neko’s singing was much more quiet and reserved. She struggled to maintain a consistent pitch, her voice was far too raspy, but Aroma could tell she was singing with sincerity. It was soft, but confident--she wasn’t very skilled, but she was trying with all her heart. Aroma had developed quite an ear for this over her many years of vocal training and performing, and while it didn’t exactly sound _pleasant_ , she could tell it was coming from a very personal place.

Neko sang the rest of the song without taking her eyes off the screen. Aroma waited for her to finish before making her presence known. “You’re doing karaoke? And you picked one of _my_ songs?”

Neko yelped in surprise and dropped the mic to the floor as the sound of canned applause came through the speakers. “ _A-Aroma-chan! Y-you...how much of that did you hear?!_ ”

“Only from the bridge. I gotta say, Neko, you really-”

“WAAAHHHH!!” The streamer’s face was flushed as she turned away and buried her head in her hands. “Ohhh, this is bad!! I was hoping you wouldn’t find out!!! I know I’m not as good as you, but I’ve been practicing your songs so I could pretend I was performing with you, and _ohhhh_ _now my secret’s been discovered and I’m so embarrassed!!!!_ ”

Aroma said nothing for several seconds. It took her a moment for her brain to process everything it had heard. When she finally spoke she said, “......You...want to perform with me?”

Neko picked her head up with a mortified expression. “Ohhhhh, no, no, no, nonononononononoNO!!!!! I-I mean, you-I mean...I could never......”

“Honey.” Aroma placed her hands on Neko’s shoulders. “Neko. Babe. That’s fine! That’s wonderful! There’s no reason to be embarrassed. I would be honored to have you join me at my next concert-”

Neko shook her head forcefully. “No, that’s not what I...it’s-it’s just....”

“Neko? It’s okay, just spit it out. I won’t judge.”

“It’s...” She gave a small sigh. “Well...singing is your thing, Aroma. You’ve been doing it all your life, and you’re _good_ at it, and I kinda envy that about you, and I thought maybe it would be fun if _I_ could learn to sing, but I’m nowhere near as good at it, and next to the superstar idol PAFF I look like a total loser, and-”

Neko’s next words were interrupted by a kiss. Aroma had grabbed her head and pulled it close to hers, allowing their lips to touch as their bodies came together in an embrace.

“Neko, you were fantastic out there,” Aroma whispered as her mouth separated from that of her lover. “Your singing was incredible. I don’t want you to compare yourself to me, alright? We can sing together as much as you’d like.”

Neko’s smile grew. “Okay, Aroma-chan! I would love to sing with you sometime!”

“If you’re comfortable with it, I could even give you some lessons from the pro herself...”

“That sounds great! Maybe I should teach you how to play video games so I could kick your ass at _Ultra Killing Fighter 17_!”

Aroma chucked. “Sure, Neko, and then I get to pick the next game...preferably one with a less violent title...” And they went back to locking lips for the rest of the afternoon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> note at the time of this chapter going live uhhh chapter 3 isnt done....:flushed: so im not too worried about deadlines im just gonna upload the rest as i finish them. even if it takes a month or more i dont have much time to write between work and social stuff so !! this may be the last chapter to go up for a while! im taking my time to make sure i dont sacrifice quality. hope yall understand :3


	3. 703-09-17

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Aroma and Neko take the day off to spend some quality time with each other. Also Joe is here.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> once again this did not turn out the way i thought it would but thats ok. i had to keep writing until the story decided it wanted to be over thats why its so long. hope you like SOFT MUSH with EXTRA FLUFF cause this gets positively GOOEY

_ DING DING! _ An unmistakable bell rang as the door to Joez Cafe swung open. Aroma and Neko had taken barely three steps into the dining room when the bar’s patron greeted them in a loud voice:

“Eyyyyy, it’s my two favorite celebrities!” yelled Joe Miller as he stepped out from behind the counter and began walking towards them. “How you girls doing this morning?”

“SHHHHH!” Aroma put her hands up with a look of mild panic. “ _ Keep your voice down! _ ” she said in a loud whisper. “We’re trying to keep a low profile today.”

“Yep!” chimed Neko, though her “inside voice” was not much quiter than her normal one. “We’re going for a walk in the city, just the two of us! Aroma came up with the idea, but  _ I _ got to decide where we go...and I’m taking her to my favorite place!”

Joe leaned one hand against the nearby pool table. “Just the two of ya, huh? Ya mean like.....a  _ date _ or somethin’?”

Aroma blushed and smiled sheepishly. “Yeah...yeah, sorta like a date.....”

“EXACTLY like a date!” Neko leaped onto Aroma and nearly brought her to the ground with her hug; the look on Aroma’s face turned from shock to embarrassment to an even wider smile within the span of about a second. Both girls started giggling as she returned the favor with a hug of her own.

The bartender blinked rapidly, once, twice, three times, then his head gave a small shake. “Wait, so...you two’re like......an  _ item _ ? Like.....”

Aroma turned to him and spoke flatly. “Yes, Joe. We’re dating.”

“Since....since when?”

“Like eight months by this point! Since January?”

Silence.

“We’ve been in here like  _ six times _ ! We even  _ KISSED _ in front of you once! What the hell did you think that was?!”

More silence. The poor man seemed incredibly confused. “Uhhhh......I don’t know, like a...friendship kiss? Is that a thing?”

The pop star placed her palm against her face with an exasperated sigh. “Just...just forget it. Can we get 2 root beers to go?”

“Oooh! And make mine a float!!” piped up Neko, completely unfazed by her tall friend’s confusion.

Joe snapped his fingers and pointed gun-shapes at the both of them. “That, I can do. I may not know much about girls, but I know a  _ lot _ about beer: root, birch, ginger, draft, tomato, you name it!”

Neko shuddered and clutched her stomach at the mention of tomato beer. “Yamameto...don’t remind me......”

“Hey, if you’re gonna throw up, make sure you do it outside, okay? Don’t wanna scare away any-” He was interrupted by a light punch on the shoulder. “ _ Ow _ ! Jeez, okay, I was kidding! I’ll get you two your drinks right away.”

~~~

The two girls were walking through the streets of Node 08 with their sodas in hand. Aroma was casually sipping hers with a straw, while Neko was struggling to lick the half-melted ice cream off the sides of her cup before it dripped onto the ground. She took a spoonful of foam into her mouth and asked, “Shouldn’t we have waited for Helena?”

“No need,” Aroma answered. “She knows the address, she can take care of herself. Besides, you weren’t planning on making this a double date, were you?”

Neko shook her head. “I’d rather spend time with just you, Aroma. But didn’t you at least wanna make sure Joe remembered? He didn’t even mention she was coming at all.”

“Well, you never told him I was setting him up with my  _ sister _ , did you? He doesn’t know his blind date partner is related to me; he wouldn’t have had any reason to bring it up.”

“No, I guess that’s true. Plus he was so shocked when you told him we’re dating, I think you might have short-circuited his system!”

The both of them laughed. They walked together for a while longer, making small talk about their lives, and by the time they arrived at their destination, both of their cups were empty.

“This is it?” Aroma asked as they stood outside the game center.

“Yep! This was where I spent all my time when I was growing up! I’ve been here so many times, I’m surprised they haven’t renamed it in my honor yet...”

“Hmm...I don’t think I’ve ever been to an arcade before....”

Neko gasped. “Ooooooh, so I get to show you everything for the first time? Come on!” She grabbed her girlfriend’s hand and dragged her through the door.

The arcade was smaller than Neko remembered, but she couldn’t tell if it had actually shrunk of if she was just bigger than she’d been last time she was here. All of her old favorites were still active and running:  _ Drift King _ ,  _ ChronoCalamyty _ ,  _ Killing Fighter Arcade _ ,  _ InsaneBus _ ,  _ Hydro Thunder _ ,  _ The Mansion of the Undead _ , plus skee-ball and roulettes and crane games and the like. There were a couple new games she didn’t recognize that she definitely wanted to check out after she gave Aroma a tour of the place. The snack bar in the back was still serving piping hot pretzels and gooey nachos, and even though they’d just ate, the smell of popcorn wafting through the air made both their stomachs growl. The atmosphere was still as open and inviting as she remembered--and she was just as tempted to dump all her cash into the token machine as she ever was.

“Wow, this place looks amazing!” beamed Aroma in wide-eyed wonder. “I don’t even know where to start!”

“I have an idea,” Neko said with a grin. “Let me show you to the back corner, where they keep all the music games!”

Aroma was curious. “Music games? That’s a thing?”

“Of course! How else do you think I got into making music?” And before her girlfriend could say another word, Neko grabbed Aroma’s hand and pulled her towards the far corner of the building. The older girl had to almost sprint in order to keep up; Neko was moving quite fast. She must have been very excited to show her...whatever it was she wanted to show her. Before she knew it, they were standing in front of a metallic gray cabinet with lots of buttons and lights, with Neko holding out her arms in a triumphant pose in front of it.

Aroma read the game’s title displayed on the marquee. “... _ Beat Beat Revolution _ ?”

Neko nodded enthusiastically. “Yeah! This one’s my favorite by far! You gotta check it out! And then we can play  _ DrumPsycho  _ and  _ MIRRO BEAT _ and  _ Tone It Down _ and  _ NOISE CYCRONE _ and  _ burst’n tunes _ and-”

“Whoa, whoa, Neks, slow down!” Aroma’s head was spinning from hearing so many strange names in quick succession. “One at a time, please!”

Neko grinned sheepishly. “Ah, right, well...let’s start with BBR, then. I’ll teach you how to play, and then you can go after me!”

Aroma nodded. “Sure,” she replied as Neko stepped up to the machine and put her tokens in. The lights on the cabinet lit up as soon as she did, and the game progressed from the title screen to the mode select menu.

“Okay,” Neko turned her head to the side as she selected Single Mode and began to pick her song. “So all you have to do is press the buttons to the beat of the song. They’re gonna move down the screen from the top, and when they get to the bottom you press the button that matches. Here, watch me and I’ll show you how it’s done!”

The lights dimmed as Neko’s song choice popped up on the screen: 1ST STAGE - Jakarta PROGESSION - EXPERT 12

“Oh, hey, I know this one!” Aroma was surprised to see an artist she recognized on the list. “ROBO made it, right?”

Neko nodded. “Yep! He’s been contributing to the series for a while now, his songs are always a lot of fun to-oops! It’s starting!”

The music began as Neko’s fingers went flying. Aroma watched as she hit note after note, her combo soaring higher and higher as the points went up at alarming speed. Then suddenly, the combo reset and her life bar began to drop. Neko’s expression changed from relaxed to neutral to intense concentration; her brow furrowed as her tongue poked out from behind her lips. Aroma figured it would be best to not interrupt her flow, so she watched patiently as Neko finished the song and the results screen came up.

“Good job! You got an A!”

“No,  _ not _ ‘good job’! I messed up pretty bad from the halfway point on; I’ve gotten S rank on this chart before!”

“Oh, well then...it’s okay, you’ll do better next time?”

Neko smiled at Aroma’s effort to be supportive. “Thank you! I’m sure I will. But now it’s your turn! Get up there!”

Aroma took her position in front of the monitor as she said, “Alright, but I don’t think I’m gonna do as good as you...”

“Nonsense! You’ll do great! I know you will! Do you need help picking a song?”

“No, I think I got it, but thank you.” She scrolled through the song select, listened to each song preview for a few seconds before settling on one she liked, and pressed the START key to begin the song.

Neko looked concerned. “Uhh, Aroma? Why did you pick 3aЯs?”

“Huh?” Aroma was confused. “Because it sounded cool? What do yo-”

Without warning, the notes began scrolling down the screen at blinding speed. Panicking, Aroma mashed the keys as fast as she could, desperately trying to keep up with the pace of the chart. The music was intense, a driving synth line accentuated by pounding beats that seemed to rattle her skull as she played. She hardly knew what she was doing, but the notes were moving too quickly for her to even think about that. It was the most frantic two minutes of her life, and just like that the song was over and she was staring at her results.

“I got a...star? And it says ‘FULL COMBO’? What does that mean?”

Aroma turned to see Neko’s jaw hanging wide open. She stared at the screen in disbelief before shouting: “WHAAAAT?!?! YOU FC’D ONE OF THE HARDEST CHARTS IN THE GAME ON YOUR  _ FIRST TRY?!?!?! _ NOT EVEN I CAN PASS THAT SONG YET! YOU MUST BE SOME KIND OF HIDDEN PRODIGY!! AROMA-CHAN,  _ PLEASE TEACH ME YOUR WAYS _ !!!”

By this point Neko was clinging to Aroma the way a drowning swimmer clings to a life preserver; if this kept up for much longer, Aroma was worried she would  _ need _ a life preserver. She smiled and toussled Neko’s hair. “I promise you, it was a total accident, I had absolutely no idea what I was doing. I couldn’t teach you anything if I tried!”

Neko didn’t seem to believe her. “No way, Aroma-chan! I can’t believe you’ve got all this talent and didn’t think to tell me! Are you suuuuure you’ve never been to an arcade? C’mon, we gotta test your abilities on the other games! Let’s go!”

~~~

The two of them spent the rest of the afternoon at the game center, sampling everything the establishment had to offer (including the soft pretzels). Aroma’s BBR score seemed to be a fluke, however, as she was never able to replicate her performance on any other game; nevertheless, she was happy just to be able to spend time with Neko, and she didn’t mind being dragged around from machine to machine. Whatever they did together, she felt completely at ease. It was one of the happiest days she had had in a long time.

It was as they were almost home, the setting sun reflecting off the shiny high-rises around them, that Aroma realized this. She was in the middle of listening to Neko’s hilarious story when she suddenly stopped walking, about a block from their apartment complex. Neko was so engrossed in her tale that she almost left her behind, but she quickly spun around and asked, “Aroma-chan? What is it?”

Aroma stood with her hands at her sides, slowly clenching and unclenching her fists as she tried to put her thoughts into words.  _ What do I say to her, exactly? “Thank you”? “You’re amazing”? “I love you”? I know I mean all those things, but how do I tell her all that so that she  _ knows _ I mean it...? Oh, she’s looking at me funny, I better say something or this’ll just get awkward. _

She opened her mouth, and everything spilled out at once.

“Thank love happy funny great wonderful excited happy love gamer yes. Yeah. You’re beautiful. Okay.”

_ Idiot. Idiot! What the hell was that? Hello?! What the hell, Aroma! Did you break? Did she break your brain in half? I swear to- _

Her stream of consciousness was interrupted by the feeling of Neko’s lips against hers. Everything melted away as she heard a soft voice in her ear:

“I beautiful happy love you too, Aroma-chan.”


	4. 703-09-18

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Neko has a bad dream.  
> (CW for uhhhh like.....trauma shit?? idk this ones pretty heavy)

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> hi im back :pleading: i banged this out in like not even an hour after not writing anything for like 6 months lol. but it is what it is and im proud of myself for updating this and not abandoning it!!!! every1 who reads this thank you mwah ily ok here we go

Neko was awake.

It was still dark outside; it must have been the middle of the night. This was an unusual sensation for her, given that she typically didn’t get out of bed until after noon, but at the moment she was more concerned about the nightmare she had just had. She didn’t get them very often, but when she did, the feeling of terror and helplessness always lingered in the back of her mind for an uncomfortably long while afterwards. It sucked. It was yucky. It sucked! She couldn’t think of any other words to describe what she felt. It just sucked.

The details of the dream were already fading away--which was good, because she would rather forget it ever happened as soon as possible. The feelings, however, were still there. She still felt trapped. She still felt like she had lost something. She still felt afraid.

The wind howled outside the window. Tonight’s thunderstorm seemed to perfectly match Neko’s current state of mind. Maybe that’s what woke her up, she mused naively. It was just the storm. Yeah, that was it. Just a loud bang! No scary monsters or Architects or machine guns or Aroma--

She gasped inwardly.  _ Aroma!  _ Something terrible had happened to Aroma! It was like someone had flipped a switch in Neko’s brain, making her terror go into overdrive. She remembered everything, every last detail of how Aroma White was fatally wounded during the battle in A.R.C. headquarters. That horrible, horrible sight of her best friend surrounded by killer robots that showed no mercey toward their prey--and they were coming for  _ her  _ next. She had to get out. She had to get out she had to get out had to get out get out get oUT GET OUT GET OUT GET OUT! GET OUT OF THERE AROMA! THEY’RE COMING FOR YOU! NO! LOOK BEHIND YOU!! STOP!!!!

“Mmrr....Neko?” muttered a sleepy Aroma, the  _ real _ Aroma, lying in bed next to Neko. She squinted at the other girl through the darkness, still groggy from sleep. “Whazza matter?”

Neko was panting heavily, sitting bolt upright on their shared mattress, hair and forehead drenched with sweat. Her throat was sore from screaming so loudly--wait, screaming? That had been real? Aroma is...

In that moment, realization struck. It had just been her nightmare. She had been reliving events from nine months prior, but a distorted version of what actually had happened. Aroma was fine; she was right here, sitting next to Neko with a concerned look on her face. Her eyes seemed to twinkle, even without light to reflect them, as rain continued to fall against the windowpane.

Neko let out a breath she hadn’t known she was holding, relaxed a jaw she hadn’t known she was clenching. She tried to remember the meditation techniques she had seen online, focusing on keeping her breathing as steady as possible. She was leaving the nightmare behind and returning to the real world. 

Aroma was lucid enough to see that something was wrong, but she wasn’t sure she knew what to do to help. So she did what she thought would work best: she gave Neko a kiss on the cheek, wrapped her arms around her, and with a calm breath whispered in her ear: “It’s ok, Neko. I’m here. I’m safe.  _ You’re _ safe.”

Neko began to cry. The stress from the dream coupled with the sudden display of affection had proven to be simply too much for her to handle. But in between sobs she managed to eke out a soft “I love you” to Aroma.

“I love you too,” her girlfriend answered as she squeezed her arms tighter. “I always will.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> so i wanted to focus on nekos perspective this time and i had been rereading some os logs today and thinking "damn...this storys like fucked up........" and so thats probably why my brain went here again. why does everything i write turn to angst i SWEAR  
> but yeah this might feel kinda sudden but i am NOT doing the ptsd thing for shock value or whateever i just feel liek....how can these girls ~not~ have trauma after what they went through yknow. i like the idea of neko being a stepford smiler having an extremely outgoing outward personality while holding onto so much on the inside. i like works that explore that (persona is really good especially play 3 if youOK IM DONE RAMBLING. thank you for enjoy my fic


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